


Prayer for Help

by VolsungartheMighty



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Asshole Stiles, Future depictions of surgery, Liam asks for help, Liam is a total nerd, M/M, Omega Liam Dunbar, Scary Theo, The Olympians exist, Theo doesnt go to Hell, and is in Eichen, but is still murdery, post s5
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2019-08-29 19:44:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16750420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VolsungartheMighty/pseuds/VolsungartheMighty
Summary: When Kira returned to save the day, she never sent Theo to hell. Instead, she drained him of his powers, returning him to his normal chimera status, before he is arrested and imprisoned in Eichen House.Meanwhile, after Liam's attempt on Scott's life, he has distanced himself from the pack. Due to his curiosity, and his need for answers, Liam starts to visit Theo, asking for answers. When the Pack find out, he is kicked out for "conspiring against them" and becomes an Omega in the process.Six months pass, and still, Liam has no answers, only more questions. Until, that is, he brings an old literary favourite of his to read to Theo, one that sparks an idea inside Liam.For Liam wants answers, but he wants Theo to understand what he put Liam and the Pack through as well. So he makes a pact with Mnemosyne, the Greek Goddess of Memory, in an effort to make things work.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Auddieliz09](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auddieliz09/gifts).



> This is for Autumn, who prompted this in the Thiam channel. This is only the first chapter, so far, and it's simply setting things up for later on. I hope you like what i've written so far.

“ID please” the woman behind the desk asked, not bothering to look up from her book.

Liam slid his ID over to her wordlessly, looking down at his feet. He heard the woman sigh, followed by the clacking of the keyboard.

“You know the protocol” She said, this time in a softer voice, one tinged with familiarity. Liam nodded his head, and she slid the ID and the visitors badge across the desk to him. “I hope you get somewhere with him. He’s been… restless today.”

“Thanks Martha” Liam said, giving the elderly woman a soft smile.

She smiled back at him, before a loud buzz echoed through the atrium. It was quickly followed by the sound of a gate opening, and someone clearing their throat.

“Mister Dunbar? This way please” the man asked, holding his hand out, pointing Liam down the corridor.

Liam walked through the gate, flinching slightly as it clanged shut. He held his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, waiting patiently for the orderly to lock the gate, before unlocking the next one. They repeated the process down a flight of stairs, and down a number of corridors, before they were finally standing outside of the cell block.

“You know, ever since that hell hound of yours broke the ring around the cell block, we’ve had more people trying to escape” the orderlie said, swiping his card to let the two of them through.

Liam sighed, shaking his head. “Alan, is that your way of telling me he attempted to escape again?”

“He did” Alan said, nodding. He shut the gate they’d walked through behind them, before continuing down the corridor. “He clawed up Ryan’s face, tore out an eye. Got me on the arm, thank fuck he didnt go any deeper.” He indicated a bandage around his left bicep.

“Fuck…”Liam drew the word out, shaking his head. “And here i was thinking he was improving.”

“Oh, he’s improving” Alan said, coming to a stop. “Just… not in the way you’ve hoped.”

Liam stilled, cocking his head in thought. “What does that mean?”

Alan looked around nervouosly, before gripping Liam by the arm, and pulling him back to the previous gate. Liam noticed a line of chalk on the wall they passed, before Alan started talking again. 

“He started learning the patrol routes” Alan said softly. “It’s how he broke out this time. He knew exactly when we were doing shift changes, and no one was ready when he broke out. We had to activate the electric fence, he got that close to escaping.”

“Oh… so thats why i had to wait to be let in” Liam said, nodding.

“Yeah, that’s why” Alan said. “But we’ve had to start changing the rosters around again.”

“Again?” Liam asked. “You make it sound like you stopped.”

“I shouldnt be telling you this” Alan said, shaking his head. He set his features in a grim mask, striding back down the corridor to the next gate.

Liam noticed that Alan stayed quiet for the rest of the walk. The normally talkative orderly remained silent as they walked through a few more gates, before they were walking down a corridor lined with cells.

Liam knew something was off immediately. He’d done this trip every weekend for the past six months, and they always turned left at the first intersection of corridors. But this time, they turned right.

“Alan… what happened when Theo tried to escape?” Liam asked, speeding up to keep in step with the orderly.

“Why don't you ask him?” Alan asked, voice hard, as they rounded another corner.

They came to a stop three cells down, where a simple metal chair had been placed in front of a cell. Sitting beside the chair was a small table, a pitcher of water and a small glass resting on it.

“Ah, so the little wolf returns, i see” Theo’s silky voice echoed out of the cell. Liam couldnt help the shiver that went down his spine at the sound of the chimera’s voice. Theo chuckled, most likely smelling Liam’s nervousness. “Why don't you just give up Liam? I’m never going to change. You should know that by now.”

Liam sat down on the chair silently, nodding to Alan. He walked back down the corridor, turning at the corner. Liam knew he’d stopped, his heart beat coming from just around the corner. Liam knew he wouldnt need it.  _ Hoped _ he wouldnt need it, but he was thankful Alan stayed. He’d never had to call for help in the past six months. He hoped today was no different.

“Morning Theo” Liam said, ignoring the sneer Theo sent his way. He couldnt see him in the cell, but he could hear his heartbeat. It was as steady as ever. “How have things been this week?”

“How do you think?” Theo asked, a snarl echoing out of the cell.

Liam watched as he stepped out from the walled off bathroom, wearing only the light grey pants that the orderlies had provided him with. Liam couldn't help but let his eyes sweep up and down Theo’s bare torso, once, twice, before settling on Theo’s face. The chimera wore a smirk on his lips, one that told Liam he’d been caught.

“Well… i heard about the escape attempt” Liam said with a sigh. He slipped his bag off his shoulder, setting it on the ground beside his chair. “I thought we talked about this Theo. Do you want to be stuck down here for the rest of your life?”

“No, i don't” Theo said, baring his teeth in a snarl. “You really think i want to be cooped up here, with all these other crazies?”

“No, i don't think you do” Liam said. He pulled a book out of his bag, resting it on his lap. “Why did you try to escape, Theo?”

“Oh, i don't know. Maybe because i wanted to gut you and the rest of your pack. Bathe in your blood” Theo said, leaning against the bars of the cell.

Liam flinched back at his words, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

“Oh, did that scare you, Little Wolf?” Theo said with a smirk. He sniffed the air, his lips twisting up in a cruel smile. “Or are you looking for a good time? I could always help with that.”

Liam took a shuddering breath, calming his beating heart. He tried his best to ignore most of what Theo said. But… some days it was difficult. Days like today were difficult.

Theo sighed, pushing himself off the bars of the cell. “So, what have you got to read to me today?”

He lay down on the thin bed, resting his head on his arms. Liam couldn't help but let his eyes roam across the broad expanse of Theo’s torso.

The chimera smirked, chuckling darkly. “Eye’s up, Little Wolf” he growled out, his eyes flashing at Liam.

Liam’s eyes flashed back involuntarily, and he closed his eyes, calming himself. Once he knew his eyes were normal, he opened them again, seeing Theo smirking at him.

“Still having control issues” Theo cooed.

The way he said it had anger simmering beneath Liam’s skin. He looked down at the book in his hands instead, his eyes roaming over the cover. It was battered and worn, one corner of the cover torn. He’d lost count of how many times he’d read this.

He let out a breath, calming himself a little more, before looking back up at Theo.

“Are you going to tell me why you did it?” he asked. “Why did you...why did you get me to try to kill Scott?”

There was a pause, a moment of silence. Theo looked up at him, before resting his head back against his arms.

“I was bored” he said simply.

“That’s really not why you did it” Liam said, gritting his teeth.

“No, no it isnt” Theo said. “You ask this every week. And every week, i give you a different answer. You can ask me every day till the day i die, Little Wolf, and i will not tell you why.”

Liam sighed, nodding. “It was worth another try” he said, opening the book to the start. He continued talking as he did. “I figured we’d go with something different. You said you didnt like what we were reading last week, so i picked something else out for today.”

“Oh, joy. I have to listen to you reading me something i don't even care about. I cant wait” Theo said sarcastically.

Liam ignored him, looking over the note’s he’d left in the margins.

“Have you ever heard of the Odyssey?” Liam asked, ignoring Theo’s voice. “It’s meant to be one of the greatest pieces of literature in the Western world. Passed down orally for centuries before it was written down.”

“Great, yet another history lesson i never asked for” Theo muttered.

Liam breathed in, letting it out slowly. This was going to be a long day, it seemed.

“Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide…” Liam began reading, ignoring the groan Theo let out.

***

A niggling feeling scratched at the base of Liam’s skull, as if he had forgotten something important. He couldn’t help but think it was important, but no matter how much he tried to remember it, he always seemed to be just out of reach.

He was sitting in history class, listening to Mister Yukimura drone on about the Civil War. It wasn't that he wasn't interested, he really was interested. But he couldnt help but be distracted today.

“Liam...Liam” Mister Yukimura called out.

Liam snapped his head up, looking back and forth. “Sorry, what was the question?”

“Class is over Liam” Yukimura said. “Is everything okay? You seemed a little...out of sorts today. That’s not like you.”

Liam sighed, running a hand down his face. “I...i don't know. I feel like i’ve forgotten something, but...that’s it. It’s just a feeling.”

“Well, when did you start feeling like you’d forgotten something” Yukimura asked, leaning against his desk.

Liam thought back, resting his chin in his palm. “Probably...on Sunday, actually. I...went to visit Theo again. I walked out thinking i’d forgotten something, but wasn't too sure what.”

Yukimura frowned at the mention of the Chimera, but nodded in understanding.

“You said in the past that you read to him, right? It could be something you read” he asked.

“Uh...i started reading the Odyssey to him” Liam said. He reached into his bag and pulled out the book in question.

“An old classic, i see” Yukimura said with a smile. “I remember reading this back when i was your age.”

He took the weathered book from Liam’s hands, flicking it open to the first page, reading over the first few lines.

“Huh, you must have a newer translation compared to what i used to read” he said, his eyes scanning the page.

“What do you mean?” Liam asked, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Well, right here” Yukimura said, setting the book down on the table and pointing to the first line. “You see where it says ‘Tell me, O muse’. I distinctly remember it reading ‘Tell me, O  _ memory _ ’.”

“Wait... _ memory? _ As in… the goddess of memory?” Liam asked.

“Yes, exactly” Yukimura said. “Muse and Memory were interchangeable, used in reference to the same person. Yes, there were the  _ Muses _ , who were her daughters, but Muse and Memory are the same person.”

Liam nodded, letting his thoughts wander. Could it be possible? If werewolves and wendigo’s and kitsune’s were real, could they really have been? Or were they really just...myths?

“Thank you, Mister Yukimura. I think you just solved my problem” Liam said, grabbing his bag as he stood. He picked the book up from where it sat on the table, giving the teacher a mock salute. “Thank you.”

Yukimura gave Liam a nod of the head, before he was out of the door and on his way to the library. He had a lot to research to do, it seemed.

***

It had been almost a week since Liam's conversation with Mister Yukimura. He'd gone to visit Theo again at Eichen, and been met with the same deadly (yet oddly arousing) ferocity the Chimera sent his way. Theo hadn't said anything explicitly against Liam reading the Odyssey to him, so he'd brought it with him again, continuing to read from where they'd left off.

But all the while he couldn't help but think of the conversation he and Mister Yukimura had had. And the questions that had sprung to mind when he'd figured out what had been bugging him. 

He was sitting at a computer in the library, browsing through dozens of pages surrounding Mnemosyne, the Greek Goddess of Memory. Mentions of her in myth were vague and brief, or barely legible to begin with. Despite memory being an important aspect of Greek life in ancient times, it was incredibly odd to find that very little myths revolved around her. 

He sighed, burying his face in his hands. This was going to be a lot harder than he had originally thought it would be. 

He jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder, gripping tightly as he was suddenly spun around. He looked up, eyes wide, to find Stiles standing over him.

“So, what's the little traitor up to now?” he asked, a wicked gleam to his eye. 

“What's it matter to you?”Liam asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

“Just keeping track of you, is all. Don't want our resident time bomb to explode on us after all” Stiles said with a smirk. He dragged his eyes away from Liam, looking at the screen. “What's this? Mnemosyne? Why would a runt like you be researching about her?”

Liam ignored him, spinning back around and closing the browser, before logging off the computer. “I don't think it's any of your business what I'm doing. You all gladly kicked me out of the pack the moment you had a chance. You lost every right to know what I'm doing the moment you did that.”

“Oh really? If anything, I reckon I have more of a right. You could be up to no good, trying to take down the pack” Stiles said. He leaned forward, whispering into Liam's ear. “for all I know, you could be planning to kill Scott again.” 

Liam growled, low in his throat, his eyes flashing gold. Stiles took a step back, a scared look on his face. 

“Not so brave now, are you?” Liam asked with a smirk. He shouldered his bag, walking out of the library, leaving Stiles where he stood. 

He briefly heard Stiles on the phone as he exited the library, the humans voice drifting to his ears. 

“Scotty, I think we have a problem with the runt” Stiles said… But the rest was cut off as the door closed. 

Liam stood there for a moment, anger simmering beneath his skin. What to do? It was the end of the day, and he had a free period. He'd been researching the whole time, but had come across very little that could be of help. 

He took a deep breath, holding it for a few moments, before letting it out. He had to focus. It was the night of the full moon, and he knew he'd struggle with his control. But… from what he had learnt, tonight would be the best night to try what he had in mind. 

Figuring out what he had to do, he turned on his heel, walking out of the school. He wanted to visit Theo first. He always felt calmer after visiting the Chimera, despite his constant string of threats and flirting. Visiting Theo would help him stay in control tonight, especially when control was what he needed most. 

He walked through the streets of Beacon Hills, empty this time of day. People were still at work, kids still in school. It was still an hour until school let out, and Liam could walk in peace. 

It wasn't long before he’d made the familiar trek to Eichen house, pressing the buzzer to be let in. An orderly came out, unlocking the gate and letting him in. He was at the top of the steps, hand pressed to the wood of the door, when the rumbling of a familiar engine echoed through the empty courtyard. He heard doors creaking open, then slamming shut, footsteps on gravel, someone calling his name. He ignored it all, pressing the door open, closing it with a sharp snap behind him. 

“Long day, Hun?” Martha asked from behind her desk. 

“You could say that” Liam said, smiling softly at her. “Is he free to visit? Tonight's the full moon. And… Well… He Helps a lot. “

“Of course you can visit him, dear” she said. “You know the drill though. I need to see your ID.” 

Liam nodded, pulling his wallet out of his pocket and grabbing his id, sliding it over to her. She quickly filled out the forms, sliding Liam's ID and a visitors badge back over to him. 

“Is there a reason the McCall pack is waiting outside?” she asked. She eyed the computer screen for a moment, before turning to look at Liam. “They pulled up just as you walked in.” 

“I'm guessing they're here to confront me… For something, I don't know what this time. “

“Do you want go out the back way? So you can avoid them?” Martha asked. 

“That would be wonderful, thank you” Liam said, smiling at her. 

“My pleasure. I'll just let Alan know when he comes up to take you down to him. “

Liam nodded his head in thanks, burying his hands in his hoodie as he waited. He could faintly hear Scott and Malia calling his name, and he tried his best to ignore it. Their voices were starting to grate on his nerves as the buzzer sounded, and the gate to the rest of the complex opened. Alan held the door open, a trace of a smile on his lips.

“Staying the night? Or are you just visiting?” he asked as Liam made his way over to him.

“Just visiting today” Martha said from the counter. “and Alan...could you be a dear and let Liam out through the back? He's got some...unfortunate stragglers waiting for him out the front.”

“Of course” Alan said, nodding his head in understanding.

He followed Liam through the gate, closing it behind him. Liam couldn't help but think that it closed with an ominous sense of finality.

They made their way down the familiar route, to Theo’s new cell. They came to a stop outside, and Liam sat down in the familiar chair.

“You're back so soon?” Theo’s familiar drawl rang out. Liam couldn't suppress the shiver that ran down his spine as Theos voice washed over him. “Why are you here Liam?”

“Am I not allowed to visit you for the sake of visiting? “ Liam asked. His voice was higher than he would have liked...But his heart remained steady. If there was something Liam had gained from his time with Theo, it was the ability to convincingly lie to a supernatural. 

“Liam, you don't visit me for the sake of visiting” Theo said with a sigh. Liam couldn't help but detect the hint of longing in Theos voice. 

“You're wrong, you know” Liam said, a bitter tone to his voice. “You're all I have left.”

He watched Theos head snap up from where he was laying, a curious gleam to his eyes.

“What did you say?” he asked, voice surprisingly soft.

“Don't make me repeat it” Liam snapped. He sighed, leaning against the bars, eyeing Theo in his cell. “They abandoned me” Liam said, softer this time. “After...after you convinced me that killing Scott was a good thing, after...nearly killing him, they never trusted me after that.”

Liam rested his head against the cool bars. Theo cocked a brow, but otherwise remained silent.

“When they found out I was visiting you...they didn't like it” Liam said. “Scott was...well, he was Scott about it. He was disappointed, as if that was the most he could do. Everyone else was pissed, and wanted me gone. So...I left. Scott didn't protest one bit either. It seemed better this way.”

Theo chuckled darkly, shaking his head. “You shouldn’t have put your hopes in me, you know. I’m supposed to be the heartless chimera, remember?”

“I know” Liam said softly. He thought for a moment, debating whether he should tell him or not. Deciding that there was no harm in it, he said, “But hopefully, after tonight, you might understand what’s happened since you showed up.”

Theo cocked his head to the side, but otherwise didn’t say anything. Liam grimaced slightly, turning on his heel and nodding to Alan. They walked through the endless corridors, up some stairs, before coming to a small, metal door set into the wall.

“This is the way out” Alan said softly. There was a pause as he pulled an old looking key out of his pocket and unlocked the door, letting it swing open silently. “Is there anything i can help you with? I know you tend to...struggle on nights like tonight.”

“I...think i should be fine” Liam said, stepping out of the building and into the bright afternoon sunlight. “Actually...would you know anywhere i can go to get incense?”

***

His hair was still damp as he knelt down beside his bed. He shivered as he felt droplets of water running down his bare back, and he shook his head, hair and water flying in every direction. He hadn’t done this in...years. His father had been the religious type in his family, the one who had made him pray every night before bed. When he’d passed away when Liam was ten, he’d stopped. Liam hadn't seen the point in praying for a god that had not saved his father from the accident he’d been in.

But now...now he was praying for an entirely different god, for an entirely different reason. He rested his elbows on top of the duvet, clasping his hands together. He tilted his head back, looking up to the roof, before closing his eyes.

“I...i haven't done this in awhile” he said softly. “And i haven't done this for you before. But… i need your help. I want Theo to understand what i... _ we _ went through. What he put us through. I want him to understand that what he did was wrong. That he was in the wrong, and that him being in Eichen is for the best.”

Liam sighed, resting his head against his clasped hands. “Please, Mnemosyne. I don't know if you’re real or not...but i really could do with your help.”

He stayed like that for a few more moments, uttering a few more words under his breath. But there was no sudden appearance, no bright lights or gusts of wind. Liam sighed, unclasping his hands. It had been a long shot, he knew. But it had been worth a try.

He pulled back the covers on his bed, slipping under them and switching off his lamp. The light of the moon filtered in through his window. Unlike most full moons, he felt calmer, more in control. Rather than feeling energetic, with anger thrumming beneath his skin, he felt tired and lethargic, his anger dulled and muted.

He blinked tired eyes once, twice, three times...before he was dead to the world.

When he opened his eyes, he was standing in the middle of an empty field, waist high grass brushing against his legs. The sun was warm against his face, the golden grass reflecting rustling in the warmth.

He looked around himself, trying to find a point of reference...but there was none. Just a flat field filled with grass. He picked a random direction, and started walking, hoping to find something familiar.

He’d been walking for what felt like hours when he spotted something on the horizon. It looked to be a statue, and the closer Liam got the more he was able to make out.

But the closer he got, the more he realised it wasn't a statue. Instead, it was an actual person, a woman, with dark brown hair running down her back in curls. She was standing stock still, not moving the whole time Liam walked towards her.

“Who...who are you?” Liam asked, coming to a stop a few feet from the woman.

She cocked her head to the side, blinking gold rimmed eyes at him.

**_So you’re the boy who prayed to me?_ **

She never opened her mouth. It felt more like the words had skipped being spoken and gone straight to his brain.

“Uh...yes, i was” Liam said, nodding his head. “I’m guessing you’re Mnemosyne then?”

She smiled, nodding her head. 

**_I am, little wolf. How curious that a Werewolf would call on me in his time of need…_ **

“I...well...I wasn't exactly expecting you to answer” Liam said softly, crossing his arms. “I just...thought that the existence of the gods was... a bit too much.”

Mnemosyne smile, nodding her head. But when she spoke next, it was to ask a question.

**_You asked for my help? With the boy you’re smitten with?_ **

“Well, I...I wouldn't say i’m  _ smitten _ with Theo” Liam stammered, rubbing the back of his neck.

**_Oh? And yet...you ask for help...to have him understand what he did was wrong? You ask for Divine Intervention, no less?_ **

There was a pause as Liam grappled with his thoughts, before a tinkling laugh filtered through his mind.

**_Oh, what you mortals do for love...even just the chance of it._ **

“So...you’ll do as i ask? You’ll make him understand?” Liam asked, hope filling his voice.

The woman nodded, her lips curling up into a sad smile.

**_I will, little one. For a strong wolf like you...i shall do as you have asked._ **

Liam let out a sigh of relief, before she held her hand up.

**_But...you must learn why he is the way he is. You have asked that he understand what he has done? He will be trapped in his own mind. He will relive your memories, along with Scott, and Stile’s, and Malia, and the rest of your former Pack. But, in return, while you sleep you will learn what made him the way he is. That is out deal._ **

Liam considered his options. He was being given exactly what he wanted. Theo would understand, and even better, he himself would learn how Theo became the way he is.

He nodded his head. “I agree to those terms” he said, voice firm.

Mnemosyne smiled down at him, holding out one hand.

**_Shake on it._ **

Liam gripped her hand, shaking. As he pulled his hand from hers, the world turned black.

When he opened his eyes again, he was laying down on a cold, metal table. The masked faces of the Dread Doctors were looking down at him, scalples and other medical instruments in hand. They were eyeing him curiously.

He looked down, and screamed. Or...tried to scream. His chest was cracked open, ribs pulled to each side.

His heart was nowhere to be found.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...it's been a while...sorry.  
> Have this wild update.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Liam knew this was all a dream. Or...a memory, one that wasn't his own, made to look and feel like a dream.  
But...it was the pain that made it feel real. Pain that he’d never felt before. The pain of having his chest sliced open, his ribs forcibly broken and pulled back. But even more worrying was the numbness Liam felt. The hollow feeling in his chest. The Dread Doctors hovering over him hadnt used anesthesia...hadnt given him anything for the pain, but the numbness felt even worse than the pain. He could feel a tingling in his extremities, hands and feet slowly going cold as the blood no longer flowed through his veins.  
Fear and panic began to swallow him, the doctors talking in their raspy, clicking voices. Everything was distorted, and he tried to breath...but it didnt help. Black spots danced in front of his eyes, the lack of oxygen, despite his deep breathes, the cause of it all. He tried to move, tried to thrash...tried to do anything, but he was tied to the table with thick leather straps.  
The last thing he saw was the doctors turning towards him, large syringes held in the hands of two of them, the one to his left holding a human heart in its hands.  
***  
Liam woke with a gasp, holding back a half sob, half scream. He held a hand to his chest, pressing down hard. He let out a gasp of pain as his claws dug into the firm skin, but he refused to remove his hand.  
He relaxed visibly, shoulders falling, hand slipping from his chest, when he felt his heart beating rapidly, but steadily, in his chest, the panic flooding his veins slowly ebbing away. He thought back to the memory, the dream, and his stomach roiled violently.  
Clasping a hand to his mouth, he jumped from his bed, almost tripping as he got his feet tangled up in the blanket, before dashing to his ensuite toilet. The bile stung his throat as he heaved, the remnants of his dinner filling the toilet bowll. He dry heaved a few times, before turning, slumping against the wall.  
Thoughts raced through his head, recalling the memory...the dream...whatever it had been. His stomach continued to roil, thankfully now empty, but the sound refused to stop his thoughts. Had that been how he had become a Chimera? Liam knew that he had killed his sister, knew that the heart beating in Theo’s chest was not his own. The Chimera had gladly given up that information not long after Liam’s visits had begun.  
Thinking back, Liam supposed it might have been an attempt by Theo to get Liam to stop visiting. If anything, it had just intrigued him...and made Liam eager to learn more about the mysterious Chimera.  
It made Liam think...was there more to the story? He’d learned from Lydia, before being kicked from the pack, that Theo had killed Tara. But had that been what she saw? Or was Lydia being biased? Had she seen something and simply made the leap?  
These questions and more flooded Liam’s train of thought. He stood from his position beside the toilet, flushing it clean of the contents of his stomach, before brushing his teeth. He brushed them three times before deeming them satisfactorily clean, and heading back to bed.  
He’d learned something tonight. Despite Liam having been sick from the memory, he knew he’d learned something vital. Theo had been the first Chimera...the first successful one. But that didnt mean Theo had had an easy time getting to that stage.  
***  
Theo woke to pain. Searing, agonizing pain, he thrashed in his cot in his cell. His time with the Dread Doctors had made him used to pain, made him numb to it...but this was something different. This pain came from within.  
He felt like he was on fire. Like he’d downed a bottle of Kerosene, and swallowed a lit match. Had there been something in his food earlier? Had the guards at Eichen decided he was too much of a hassle, and spiked his food with Wolfsbane? It wasn't deadly to him, at least, not in the same quantities that it was for a werewolf. It took more to kill him then that. But it was still painful. God, it was still painful.  
He finally screamed...for what felt like the first time in years, he screamed as the pain became too much. No, this certainly wasn't poisoning from wolfsbane. This felt different. Wolfsbane burnt where it came in contact with him, but this...whatever the source of his pain, it was burning through his veins, making every inch of him writhe in agony.  
Water some part of him said. The voice shocked him, the semi lucid part of him that was still functioning moving in reaction the the voice.  
Water the voice said, more insistently, and Theo moved, each movement agonizing.  
He stood to his feet, his head swimming. Some part of him questioned why he was in pain, why every step felt like he was being jabbed with rusty nails. But the pain over rided any mental functions, over rided thought. The voice in his head, demanding water now, kept him moving.  
He still screamed, and he was surprised no one had come to him, to see what the problem was. Maybe they knew not to run in when a supernatural creature started screaming in pain?  
He reached the little sink in his cell, turning the taps on as far as they could go. The water gushed out of the faucet in a torrent, and he cupped his hands beneath the stream. The water seemed to ease the agony that tore through him, and he lifted his hands to his mouth. But as he poured the water into his mouth, it seemed to vanish before touching his lips.  
He stood there in surprise, the pain flaring higher as he froze. Snapping out of it, he reached his hands beneath the spray of water, filling the cupped palms with as much water as he could, before trying to drink from his palms again. But again, the water seemed to just vanish before his lips.  
He growled, putting the plug in the sink, letting the ceramic basin fill up with water, before bringing his lips to the surface.  
Still nothing. He growled, gripping the edge of the bowl with his hands. What was happening? The voice was screaming now, shouting and raging for water. Cracks spiderwebbed their way through the ceramic of the sink as Theo growled, before tearing the sink clean off the wall. The ceramic shattered against the cell bars, the faucet still streaming water, now creating a puddle on the floor.  
In one last ditch attempt, Theo knelt on the floor, ducking his head beneath the stream of water. He opened his mouth wide, aiming the spray of water directly for his mouth...and nothing. The water seemed to simply vanish the moment it met his lips. Not a hint of the liquid ever graced his tongue.  
He collapsed against the wall, the pain ratcheting through him too much to bear. The voice clamouring for water finally shut up, and Theo blacked out to the pain.  
As darkness enveloped him, a tinkling, feminine laugh echoed around him.  
The pact has been made. You shall see that which you have broken, suffer through the pain you have caused. And you shall be changed for it. For better...or for worse.  
***  
Liam groaned as his alarm went off, reaching over for the offending device. He almost threw his phone across the room, but some part of his groggy, half awake mind told him otherwise. Blinking sleep heavy eyes, Liam squinted through the bright light of his phone, swiping to turn off the alarm.  
He’d been surprised when he had managed to fall back asleep after the terrifying dream memory. He hadnt been expecting Mnemosyne to answer, hadnt been expecting her to even exist.  
That was what had surprised him the most, out of all of this. After finding out about Werewolves, hunters, Chimeras and Dread Doctors, who would expect the ancient gods of Greece to be real? It almost made him wonder if there were other gods, from other pantheons, that were out there.  
He shook his head of those thoughts, crawling out of bed. He padded his way down to the kitchen, unsurprised to find a note from his mother on the kitchen counter, wishing him a good day and to have a time at school.  
He fixed himself a bowl of cereal, pulling out his phone and scrolling through his various social media feeds. There was nothing particularly interesting as he scrolled through. A few photos from his mum, a status from his dad saying he was tired at work.  
The rest of Liam’s day passed with rather a distinct lack of...anything out of the ordinary. Which was to say, everything went by as if things were normal....even more normal for Beacon Hills. There were no attacks on the school, no hunters roaming the halls. He even managed to avoid the McCall pack, which he considered a bonus.  
Things, however, came to a head after the final bell rang. Liam was putting his books away in his locker, pulling out those he would need for homework that night, when a hand slammed his locker door shut, narrowly missing his hand.  
Liam glared at Stiles, the brunet giving the Omega a wicked grin.  
“So our ticking time bomb’s managed to avoid us all day” Stiles said, crossing his arms in front of him. Liam growled softly at the taunt, but otherwise stayed silent. “You know...looking at you right now, I never would have thought you’d be the praying type. And yet...what i saw yesterday told me otherwise.”  
Liam’s eyebrows shot up, eyes going wide. “You’re spying on me in my own home, are you?” Liam asked, noticing Scott coming down the hall towards them. He raised his voice to get his former Alpha’s attention as he said, “Did he put you up to this? Or are you just perving on me for the fun of it, you creep?”  
This time, Stiles’ eyes went wide, stumbling back a step and into Scott.  
Scott looked down at Stiles, the same disappointed look on his face that he’d had the day Liam had been kicked out of the pack. It almost made Liam want to punch the Alpha in his face.  
“You did what?” Scott asked, his eyes flashing red at Stiles. The human cringed back slightly, but didnt bother denying it. “Go to the Jeep Stiles” Scott said, shaking his head and pointing to the door. When Stiles tried to protest, Scott growled slightly. “Now, Stiles.”  
For once, realising that he was facing an Alpha werewolf, Stiles listened, scampering off with his tail between his legs.  
“I’m sor-” Scott began, before Liam threw his locker open, almost tearing it off its hinges in his haste.  
“Don't” Liam growled out, his eyes burning gold as he hastily stuffed his bag with books. “Don't you fucking dare, McCall.”  
“But...i’m only trying to help” Scott said, eyes wide.  
“If you were trying to help, McCall, you’d keep that bastard you call a friend on a tight leash” Liam growled, staring Scott down, his eyes burning gold. Scott’s eyes burned red, and some part of the Omega whimpered, recognising the superior. But Liam refused to be cowed by the Alpha. “If I find out he’s been anywhere near my house again after tonight, you’re gonna be left picking up the pieces.”  
Scott gulped, nodding hesitantly.  
“Good” Liam said, slamming the locker shut, shouldering his bag. “Now, if you don't mind, I have somewhere to be.”  
He’d made it halfway to the door when Scott whispered, just loud enough for his enhanced hearing, “Where did it all go wrong Liam?”  
Liam froze midstep, his grip tightening on his bag, fingers clenching and unclenching. He took a deep breath, calming the beast raging within him, before he spoke.  
“You want to know when i think it went wrong? When your best friend decided that you should chain me to a tree, like some kind of wild animal, for the full moon, and you agreed. Or maybe it was when you dragged me into this fucked up world of supernaturals the way you did. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the way you never seemed to trust me, even before Theo arrived to fuck shit up. Or...it might even be how you left for France for a month, and the moment your plan took off, you wanna know what your pack did? They tormented me for three weeks, telling me i wasn't good enough to be in your pack, and how you hated me for what i did to you. They bullied me out of the pack, saying it was what you wanted all along.”  
Liam turned to the stunned Alpha, continuing his tirade. “But you know what the worst bit is? It’s how the bite has been nothing but a curse for me, Scott, and you never understood that. I’ve been cursed since the day I was born, and you just made it worse that day you bit me. I’ve had to suffer endlessly, worrying about when the next time i’ll snap, the next time i’ll hurt someone so badly they’ll be limping for the rest of their life. But now, now thanks to the bite i have to worry about killing someone. Where i worried about breaking someones arm because they cut in front of me, i now have to worry about tearing their throats out. I feel like i have a monster living inside me, and its a fight for control every single day. And you’ll never get to understand that.”  
Liam didnt say anything else out loud, instead keeping the rest of his thoughts to himself. Voicing them now...voicing them at all would make him question parts of his psyche. And that was something he didnt want to do any time soon.  
He left then, not giving Scott a chance to speak. He didnt want to hear the Alpha’s half hearted excuses, his attempts to get Liam to talk more. He’d never said anything when Liam had left the pack...so it was no surprise he seemed to have nothing to say now.  
The doors to the school slammed shut behind him, and he stood there for a moment, breathing in the scents outside. The fresh air helped calm the wolf inside, the smell of the dew on the grass, the trees of the preserve. He shook his head, his anger dissipating as he took the steps down to the pavement.  
The doors to the school opened again, Scott following him out, but thankfully going off to the parking lot. He could hear the rest of the pack clamouring up to Scott, asking him about what they had talked about...but then Liam turned the corner, shutting out the sounds of the McCall pack.  
It was a rather quick walk home, all things considered. He lived close to the school, and with his enhanced stamina, it was made even quicker. He hurried inside once he was there, dropping his bag of books in his room, before heading back outside into the back yard.  
Was it possible Stiles had watched him last night? Or had the human made the assumption based on what little he had seen of Liam’s research the day before?  
He wouldnt say he was much of a detective...but he knew what to look for. The yard was devoid of trees, as were his neighbours, so Stiles would have been unable to climb one and view Liam’s activities the night before.There were some footprints in the mud, but he couldnt tell if they were cause by Stiles the night before, or one of his parents when they’d left for work. Maybe Stiles had been lying, maybe he hadnt been.   
Liam tromped back up to his room, grateful that he was home alone. He needed time to think, he needed to do some homework. He yawned just thinking about it all.  
Maybe what he needed to do was to take a nap.  
***  
It was raining.  
It seemed never ending, water pooling on the ground, the rain soaking through his clothes, despite the layers he was wearing.  
He remembered this night. It was the first night his plans were put into action. Belasko was prepared, ready to attack Scott and the pack, to try to take his powers. By the looks of it, he had already attacked the Hellhound, and now it was just a matter of time.  
But...something seemed off to Theo. He’d gone over this scene in his head a million times since that night, and a million more since he’d been locked up. Trying his best to see where his plans had failed, to see how, exactly, he’d gotten himself locked up in an Insane Asylum. He had a perfect recollection of that night, but he knew something was off.  
And then Theo watched himself run pass, wet leather jacket over a black shirt. His hair was matted to his head from the rain, eyes glowing the dull gold of a chimera. His fangs were bared, claws out, as he ran towards the underpass...and Theo, standing off to the side, could only gape.  
How was this possible? Whenever he’d revisited this scene, he’d always seen it from his point of view. But for some reason, here he was, viewing things as if he were an outsider. Was this somehow connected to him blacking out?  
Theo followed himself at a light jog, sticking back and staying out of the coming fray. He watched from the opening as his past self fought Belasko, fighting with Scott. Yes, that had gone to plan. Unleash the chimera, and then fight him with Scott. That helped him gain the Alpha’s trust, though not as much trust from the rest of the pack as he’d have hoped.  
He winced as his past self was knocked to the side, as Belasko gripped Scott by the throat and stabbed him in the gut with his talons. He always found it interesting...the reserve of pure power a true alpha must have. Those talons had been carefully crafted, meant to strip a supernatural of their powers, and their lives, within seconds. And yet...Scott remained alive for far longer then he should have. Remained a werewolf, and an alpha, for impossibly longer then should have ben possible.  
Maybe that was what had gone wrong? Theo’s plans might have succeeded if Belasko had ambushed Scott when he was on his own, without the interference of the pack. It was well known that an Alpha was stronger in the presence of their pack...Theo really should have thought of that.  
He watched as Belasko ran off, whimpering and in pain, tail between his legs. It was almost satisfying to watch the failure run off. His attention, however, was dragged back to Scott and the pack, as well as his past self.  
Stiles was, of course, curious and aggressive from the start, distrusting him immediately despite his attempt at “helping” Scott. Geeze, couldnt he see he was helping? Scott just seemed curious, but at least willing to listen to Theo’s past self. He was worried, of course. It wasn't often that a supernatural showed up in Beacon Hills and seemed trustworthy.  
Why was it so hard for Scott to trust him? Maybe the Dread Doctors had screwed up, made him more of a coyote then he’d been told.  
The vision faded into darkness, colours and sound disappearing and swirling around him like mist. And then the world reset itself, and Theo was sitting in front of a table, two pieces of paper set out in front of him.  
“You were told to practice” Theo’s own voice said, floating from behind him. “It was supposed to be indistinguishable from the original.” There was a pause, and then Theo’s voice said, a little harder this time. “It was supposed to be perfect.”  
Theo’s past self rounded the table, a cold, calculating expression on his face as he looked down at them.  
Theo realised immediately where he was. Stiles had found a discrepancy in the signatures (probably broke into the school office to get them in the first place). He’d been forced to punish his fake parents for their screw up.  
“I swear, i practiced” Theo said, almost involuntarily. “Hundreds upon hundreds of times.”  
“I wouldnt say hundreds” the woman sitting beside him said. Theo eyed her curiously. He’d never bothered remembering either of his fake parents names.  
Theo’s past self stood before the table, arms behind his back. Fuck, he knew what was going to happen, a sudden, almost instinctual spark of fear shooting through him at the sight of the predator before him.  
“There is one way a false signature can be explained” his past self said, a wicked smirk gracing his lips. “It’s not easy to write when you’re wearing a cast.”  
Theo tried to move, tried to scream and shout, flip the table and run...but nothing he did made him budge from the chair. No amount of effort made even a hair twitch out of place. His past self raised his hand, showing what he’d had hidden behind his back. A hammer glinted brightly in his hand.  
The woman beside him pulled her hands back, resting them in her lap. A spike of fear shot through him again, realising that he would be the one to suffer.  
His past self raised an eyebrow as he slowly inched his hand across the table.  
His past self smirked, the woman beside him looking away. He scrunched his eyes shut, but it did nothing to stop the pain as the hammer came down. Bone shattered as the hammer came down in a sickening squelch.  
Pain rocketed through his arm, and when he opened his eyes, the world was black again, the scene having dissolved to mist around him.  
“No Guards, no light’s. The place looks completely abandoned” Braeden said, the scene forming around him in a shift of light.  
Braeden stood to his left, Theo’s past self to his right. He looked down, groaning mentally as he noticed he was in Malia’s body.  
“That should be easier for us, right?” Malia (Theo) said, turning to Braeden.  
Theo’s mind was running as they talked, trying to assess the situation. He remembered this scene too. They were hunting the Desert Wolf, and had tracked her down to here, at an old military base. He couldnt remember much, but he knew the past self beside him was scheming silently as Braeden talked.  
“Maybe she left” past Theo said, eyes never leaving the compound. “Maybe Deatons already gone.”  
They talked some more, but Theo became distracted. There was a sense of unease, of worry, a conflict growing within him, some how. Was he feeling what Malia was feeling, right now? There was a sense of anticipation, in the lead up to what might come soon...and it was making him distracted, dragging his attention inward, away from the scene happening beside him.  
They finished talking, and Malia...Theo headed forward, ignoring the previous warnings from Braeden. He could hear Braeden and his past self following along, the sound of a gun cocking.  
There was almost a growing sense of trust towards his past self building. Malia must have trusted him, if she let him stay behind her. He remembered that...remembered that as he’d pulled the trigger of the shotgun later. There was an ominous sense of dread over coming him, and he tried to move, just like before. But no matter how he struggled, nothing changed. Malia continued forward, despite Theo’s mental objections, oblivious to what was to come.  
They’d made their way through most of the base, finding it empty and devoid of life. The air was still, silent, not a sound or scent anywhere to be found as the trudged through the compound. Theo had a growing sense of unease, and he couldnt tell if it was Malia’s emotions affecting him, or his own sense of worry.  
The fact that he could tell the difference made him nervous. What on earth was going on?  
“Somethings wrong” Malia said, as they crept up from behind a truck. She was still ahead of the other two, and so was Theo. His past self stood behind Braeden, who turned to her.  
“Was it a scent?” Braeden asked, eyes wide in confusion.  
Theo screamed, trying to struggle to get free, his fear and worry skyrocketing. He knew what was going to happen, he knew why too. It didn't stop him from trying to move.  
He moved forward, rounding the front of the truck, Bearden and his past self following behind. He knew what was ahead, unsurprised to see Deaton tied to a chair, beneath a lone light. He knew it was a trap, couldn't the others see? And why wasn't he moving away from the obvious trap?  
Try as he might, he still could not move, each step seeming to pound into his skull as he moved closer to Deaton.  
He noticed the older man motioning with his eyes at Braeden, and without a moments notice, she turned on Theo's past self, trying, and failing, to club him over the head with her shot gun.  
Theo mentally face palmed as he turned to face the commotion. She had a shot gun, and she decided to try to club him over the head with it?  
Theo watched with a morbid fascination as his past self blocked the coming blow, grabbing the barrel with a clawed hand and pulling it from the hunters grip, before knocking her out with the butt of the gun. And then, with no hesitation, his past self turned the gun on him. Or, as it had been, on Malia.  
And then he fired.  
It felt like a punch to the gut, but harder, more violent. It hurt like a bitch, blood pouring from the wound. The rounds weren't encased in wolfsbane, thankfully. But that didn't stop the pain, or the fact that his healing had yet to kick in. His past self spoke, but he couldn't hear anything from the ringing in his ears, the pain in his gut.  
And just like that, the vision disappeared, the world around him falling into mist.  
The visions continued, relentless and dominating. Theo figured he must be unconscious, somewhere back in the waking world. Probably sprawled on the floor of his cell, the guards at Eichen too afraid to even move him. But he was unable to think for long, the vision taking up his focus. With each vision, he felt almost as if he were losing himself. With each vision, he felt like a part of him was stripped from him, laid bare and inspected.  
Each vision left him with the pervasive feeling that he was unworthy. Like he'd been weighed, measured, and left found wanting.  
The visions passed in a blur, and he lost count of how many passed. He couldn't tell how long he'd been lost in these visions, how long he'd been stuck here.  
And to top it all off, he still had no idea what had caused this. Was he having some kind of identity crisis?  
Dozens upon dozens of visions had passed, before Theo finally had a hint of relief. The vision he was currently in just...froze, before melting away. He was left standing alone, in a completely white room. And then a voice floated to him, from out of nowhere. One he had grown familar with over the months trapped in Eichen.  
"Thank you Alan, for letting me in to see him" Liams voice said, the sound of a door closing on squeaky hinges accompanying him.  
"You're welcome Liam. You're more then happy to come and visit whenever you would like" the man's voice said, before the door shut with a soft click.   
Theo couldn't see anything, couldn't move or speak or even open his eyes. But he could hear...and Liam seemed more then happy to talk.  
"Hi, Theo" Liam said softly. Theo could picture it easily, the beta perched on the edge of the seat, hands clasped between his knees. "I hope you're doing well."  
There was a pause.  
"That...was probably a stupid thing to say, wasn't it?" Liam asked, probably shaking his head. "youd be growling at me to shut up and leave you alone if you were conscious."  
The beta sighed, clapping his hands on his knees.  
"Its uh...been a bit of a rough week, to be honest" Liam said. Theo paced in the white room, trying to get a feeling of his surroundings. "Stiles has been a pain in the ass, though thats no surprise. Scotts still disappointed and the rest of the McCall pack hate me." Liam took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I...might have made a few friends, however."  
Theo perked up, interested in what the beta had to say.  
"I'm not sure if you know or not" Liam said. "But...Josh and Tracey are still alive."


End file.
